By LOUIS IBA
Nigeria’s daily crude oil production capacity has recorded a 12.5 per cent growth hitting an all time 2.7million barrels, Andrew Yakubu, Group Managing Director of the NNPC said on Thursday. Yakubu who spoke while hosting Gabriel Suswam, Benue State Governor said the increase, from a previous figure of 2.4million barrels, was due largely to the respite in militant unrest in the Niger Delta which had allowed free crude oil production by oil firms in the region. “I am glad to report to you that in crude oil production, yesterday, we recorded an all time high of 2.7 million barrels. This has not been recorded before,” Yakubu said. “We want to thank the President, for his great initiative to restore security with regards to pipelines and our crude oil production facilities,” he added. Yakubu also appealed to state and local governments, as well as host communities to oil and gas installations to work in partnership with the NNPC to safeguard the pipelines and other strategic national assets in order to reduce wastages. Yakubu also expressed the readiness of the NNPC to collaborate with the Benue State Government to restore the Makurdi depot adding that a similar collaboration with the Abia State Government recently led to the re-commissioning of the Aba depot after being closed for seven years. He assured that as soon as pipelines supplying petroleum products from Aba to Enugu and Enugu to Makurdi depots are certified all right, the NNPC would commence immediate supply to the area. “We have not had any negative report from the Enugu to Makurdi pipelines and as soon as we do our integrity check and its okay, we will commence supply to the makurdi depot,” he stated. On the efforts by the NNPC on gas infrastructure, the GMD noted that various gas pipeline projects are presently ongoing across the country to support the industrialisation efforts of the Federal government. The NNPC boss enjoined Governor Gabriel Suswam to assist in convincing his colleague Governors to buy into the Petroleum Industry Bill recently submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law noting that the bill makes provision for the growth of private initiatives in the petroleum Industry. Speaking earlier, the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam commended the NNPC for the Kerosene Direct initiative and said the scheme had helped tremendously in the distribution of the product to the people of the state. He stated that the State Government was willing to partner with the Corporation in the resuscitation and expansion of the Makurdi depot, development of gas infrastructure and the ethanol project of the Corporation. High point of the visit was a presentation by the Benue State Government on the Makurdi tank farm.
SOURCE: 4 August 2012.
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